The event is the second of the season for the Web.com Tour, one rung below the PGA Tour and the next step in the 26-year-old Silvers’ climb to his ultimate goal as a pro golfer.

Silvers has for the first time conditional status on the Web.com Tour, earned by his 95th-place finish in December in the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, or Q-School. The status is a numbers game, and Silvers’ current number is large enough that he’s not guaranteed entry into any tournament, but his odds are better for some than others.

He was about the 10th alternate to the tour’s opening event this weekend in Panama City, Panama (not Florida). It wasn’t worth the expense for him to travel south and hope enough golfers would pull out because of sickness, injury, schedule conflicts — whatever — to get him in.

“It’s a crapshoot at the beginning,” said Silvers, noting the rankings reshuffle every four events.

So, if he can get in a tournament or two and play well, he can improve his position. Talk about pressure putts. Silvers said players who now are fully exempt are only guaranteed entry in the first eight events, then there’s another reshuffle.

He’s excited about his first swing through South America, where the happy traveler will have to adjust to different courses and vastly different altitudes. After Colombia, the next tour stop is Santiago, Chile, and then the exotic locale of Broussard, for the Chitimacha Louisiana Open (as in our Louisiana), and then south again to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Road warrior

It could be a dizzying adventure. It’s definitely expensive, especially if he doesn’t get to play, or doesn’t cover costs with significant paydays.

While not a lock, he is targeting upcoming tournaments in Valdosta, Athens (yes, Georgia) and Greer, S.C., in April and May.

“Certainly after scooting around South America for a month, it’ll be nice to get in my car and drive to these (tournaments),” he said.

His 2009 Honda CRV has put in serious mileage as Silvers navigated life on regional mini-tours such as the Peach State and NGA after turning pro in 2010. Silvers has been successful, even dominant, but has played for checks of several hundred or a couple of thousand dollars — enough to pay some bills but literally pocket change to the “big boys,” as he calls the PGA Tour players.

“Luckily for me, I’ve made enough money by playing well to move up a step each year. I’ve taken a lot of pride in that,” said Silvers, who now is covered head to toe by sponsors (Ping, Titleist, FootJoy, Oxford clothes), making his load a little lighter.

A big windfall, both financially and for his golf career, came in June when Silvers was selected as one of a dozen contestants on the Golf Channel’s “Big Break Greenbrier” reality series.

The show, which didn’t air episodes until October into December, forced Silvers to keep a very big secret for months: He won. Prizes included $50,000 in cash, an Adams Golf endorsement contract, a $10,000 shopping spree to Dick’s Sporting Goods, a $10,000 car rental credit from Avis, and entry into the PGA Tour’s Greenbrier Classic this July.

It didn’t come easy. In addition to 11 others similarly hungry for victory, he dealt with cameras following him on the course and off. He was asked to talk about other golfers, knowing that they were being asked about him. And no contestant knew exactly how this “reality” would be edited for national television exposure.

It could be overwhelming, but Silvers kept his cool and let his amiable personality and quick-witted humor show through, and his golf skills didn’t suffer in the least.

“I showed a lot to myself,” he said. “It’s more consistent pressure than I’ve ever been under. For my demeanor and game to hold up, it gave me a lot of confidence moving forward.”

Battle-tested

He believes that experience helped get him to the final stage of Q-School. He also made some good friends, more proof that he didn’t change for the cameras.

He has run into fellow Greenbrier alumni in the months since the taping. Life hasn’t changed that much.

“Everybody jokes around with me a little bit,” he said. “I’ve stayed close with a bunch of guys from the show. We’re all still trying to do the same thing.

“Everybody is trying to find that magic formula, basically,” Silvers continued. “If you run into a guy who is doing it well, you want to know what he’s doing to contribute to his success. We all kind of feed off of each other and develop our games as we go along.”

For right now, Silvers is one of the most famous golfers at his level. He is recognized by starters at the first tee, and guys in the pro shop. He’s Mark Silvers, the “Big Break Greenbrier” champion.

“You realize when you go to different golf courses how much everybody really loves that show,” he said.

He’s already gotten one big break. Silvers knows it’s time now to make another.

Nathan Dominitz is a sports reporter for the Morning News. Contact him at 912-652-0350 or nathan.dominitz@savannahnow.com.